The ATA Chronicle, January 2005, p. 26-28, 38
Translating for Canada’s Research-Based Pharmaceutical Companies: The Translation
Group – Rx&D
By Alain Côté
The purpose of this article is to give an overview of the pharmaceutical translation field
in Canada, particularly within brand-name companies. It will also discuss the work of the
Translation Group – Rx&D. It should be of special interest to corporate employers, translation
firms, freelance translators, and present or potential university students in translation programs.
The Rx&D Companies
In Canada, about 55 brand-name pharmaceutical companies within the innovative
pharmaceutical industry are members of a national association called Canada’s Research-Based
Pharmaceutical Companies, or Rx&D (www.canadapharma.org). These companies include large
multinational organizations that have a Canadian subsidiary, like AstraZeneca, Pfizer, Merck
Frosst, and Wyeth, as well as smaller Canadian companies, such as Theratechnologies. Many of
these companies have their head office in Montréal or Toronto, and collectively employ more
than 23,000 Canadians.
The association Rx&D was founded in 1914. Its mission is to “improve the quality of life
and enhance the health care system by fostering the discovery, development, and availability of
new medicines” (Rx&D website). The association has a number of publications, including a
Code of Marketing Practices that all its members must adhere to. Many similar organizations in
other countries, such as the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America in the U.S.
(www.phrma.org), pursue basically the same goals as Rx&D. Over 60 of these national
associations are members of the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers
Associations (www.ifpma.org).
The Translation Departments
Approximately 25 of the member companies of Rx&D have their own translation
department. These departments vary greatly in size, ranging from one person, who may or may
not be a professional translator, to a group of 15 to 20 translators. The translation department at
these companies is managed by either a coordinator, translator, manager, director, or another
employee who can outsource all, part, or none of the work. Translations are usually done at the
Canadian head office in either the Montréal or Toronto area, sometimes both.
Although the translation department handles documents originating from all areas in the
company, it necessarily belongs to a specific division; however, there is currently no consensus
as to which division. Consequently, you will find the translation department in any of the
following: Regulatory Affairs, Sales and Marketing, Finance, Human Resources, Corporate
Services, etc.
The Translators
In Canada, about 90% of the translators and other employees working in the various
translation departments of Rx&D companies are women. They translate mostly English
documents into French or vice versa, but they also work on translations from or into other
languages. They come from various parts of the world, but especially Québec, Ontario, and other
Canadian provinces. Translators who speak more than two languages have usually acquired their
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unofficial languages either in their home country or at various schools in Canada. In fact, some
translation departments at Rx&D companies cover quite a few languages internally.
The translators of the Rx&D translation departments offer a wide range of experience,
skills, and knowledge. Many of them have university degrees in translation and sometimes in
another discipline. Some have previously worked as health professionals, language teachers, or
in another profession. Many of them have obtained their professional accreditation from the
Canadian Translators, Terminologists and Interpreters Council (www.cttic.org), and are
members of the Association of Translators and Interpreters of Ontario (www.atio.on.ca) or the
Ordre des traducteurs, terminologues et interprètes agréés du Québec (www.otiaq.org).
The in-house translators may be assisted by coordinators, terminologists, revisors, and
other colleagues. The translation departments also use a number of freelance translators or
translation firms, some of whom have many years of experience in the industry.
The Rx&D companies generally offer excellent working conditions for their translators,
which has resulted in fairly stable and long careers. Over the years, however, mergers and
acquisitions within the pharmaceutical industry have brought some changes to the various
translation departments. These mergers explain the hyphenated names of many pharmaceutical
companies, like Merck Frosst, AstraZeneca, and Janssen-Ortho.
Finally, as in many other sectors, the translators within these departments are inevitably
aging, and there are some concerns about succession. It seems that, in Canada at least, university
programs are not producing nearly enough translators to meet the increasing demand for
language services in various industries, including pharmaceuticals.
The Work
The 100 or so translators working in Rx&D companies translate documents that are
obviously related to their companies’ products, mostly prescription drugs and some over-thecounter products. Because these products cover a wide range of therapeutic areas, translators are
expected to have a solid knowledge of medical concepts and the English and French terminology
in a number of medical specialties, such as cardiology, women’s health, psychiatry, neurology,
infectious disease, gastroenterology, and urology, to name just a few.
These translators handle various types of documents, from one-page internal memos to
lengthy and complex product monographs, voluminous sales training materials, journal ads, slide
presentations, CD-ROMs, posters, and websites. Moreover, since they offer their services to the
whole company, translators also have to tackle legal, financial, administrative, and technical
documents.
Throughout all of this, they must be mindful of who will read the document they are
translating and to adjust the style and reading level to the targeted audience. It goes without
saying that a brochure on oral contraceptives for young women will have to be written
differently than a summary addressed to psychiatrists concerning the latest conference of the
American Psychiatric Association.
The good news about the great diversity of material to be translated is that the work is
rarely repetitive, is often interesting, and is even useful for one’s personal life. Translators spend
their working hours reading documents on ways to maintain good health, prevent diseases, make
rational therapeutic choices, eat properly, etc., and they get paid for communicating this
important information in another language. Nice work if you can do it!
Issues and Challenges
In Canada, as elsewhere, the pharmaceutical industry is highly regulated. Health Canada
is the federal department “responsible for helping the people of Canada maintain and improve
their health.” Its Therapeutic Products Directorate “regulates pharmaceutical drugs and medical
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devices for human use. Prior to being given market authorization, a manufacturer must present
substantive scientific evidence of a product’s safety, efficacy, and quality as required by the
Food and Drugs Act and Regulations” (Health Canada website, www.hc-sc.gc.ca). Once a drug
has been authorized, pharmaceutical companies that are members of Rx&D must submit all
external marketing pieces to the Pharmaceutical Advertising Advisory Board, “an independent
review agency whose primary role is to ensure that the advertising of prescription drugs is
accurate, balanced, and evidence-based” (PAAB website, www.paab.ca). Finally, to list a drug
on provincial formularies for reimbursement by public health plans, a pharmaceutical company
must present detailed submissions to each provincial Ministry of Health, a time-consuming but
critical process for the success of any prescription drug.
This complex regulatory framework means significant challenges and risks for translators
working in the industry. Errors can be fatal. (For example, in the erroneous warning “It is
hazardous to exceed 80 tablets per day,” the extra zero could kill somebody.) Products have been
recalled because of labelling mistakes, all at a huge cost to the manufacturer. The critical nature
of many documents in the pharmaceutical sector requires translators to be extremely careful and
to submit translations to a rigorous quality control process. The problem is compounded by the
increasing complexity and variety of documents to be translated, often within very tight
deadlines. Furthermore, the medical sector is constantly changing, so translators must keep up
with new concepts, products, technologies, services, etc., in two languages. Just the sheer volume
of translation work to be done has stretched the already limited resources available.
Considering all these risks and constraints, it is amazing that people would still want to
translate documents in such an environment. And yet, in the pharmaceutical and many other
sectors, one finds a solid group of highly competent language professionals dedicated to
facilitating communications and relations between different linguistic groups.
The Translation Group – Rx&D
In 1982, a group of translators working in the pharmaceutical industry felt the need to
meet regularly to discuss terminology, project management, and other issues. They formed a
group and invited other translators to join them. Since they were working for brand-name
pharmaceutical companies, they decided to limit the membership to those translators working in
the translation departments of member companies of Rx&D (then called the Pharmaceutical
Manufacturers Association of Canada) and of the Council for Continuing Pharmaceutical
Education (formerly the Council for the Accreditation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers
Representatives of Canada), a not-for-profit organization that develops and administers
education programs for the Canadian pharmaceutical industry.
The Translation Group – Rx&D has two sections, one in Toronto and the other in
Montréal (the two cities where most major brand-name pharmaceutical companies have their
head office). Each local section meets regularly and, twice a year, the whole group holds a
meeting in one of the two cities. Each meeting includes an administrative part and a training
component. Participants have the opportunity to hear presentations on various topics of interest
to them.
Since 1990, the group has published a quarterly terminology bulletin, Pharmaterm. Each
issue, which discusses terminology problems, is prepared by a specialist in the area. The
publication is reviewed by the group’s Terminology Committee and is distributed to all members
and interested parties. A cumulative index is published every other year. This index, as well as a
sample issue, are posted on the group’s website.
Throughout the year, the group organizes training sessions, which are attended not only
by member companies, but also by the freelance translators who work for them. These sessions
focus on medical terminology, linguistics, or other health-related matters. Moreover, the
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Translation Group – Rx&D seeks to increase its links with university translation programs in
order to make students aware of the area of medical/pharmaceutical translations and to help
attract new translators. It maintains a website (www.groupetraduction.ca) that includes a list of
its members, useful links, a job posting section, and some information about its objectives,
Pharmaterm, and other matters.
The Translation Group – Rx&D also brings together in-house and freelance translators
for social activities. These initiatives allow participants to network and reduce the inevitable
isolation that is particular to this type of work. All members agree that such an exchange of
ideas, information, and terminology benefits the whole industry and contributes to the
improvement of French communications. These factors probably explain the longevity and
enduring success of the group.
Conclusion
The translation sector within Canadian brand-name pharmaceutical companies is a
dynamic, challenging, very interesting, and promising area for its members and other
stakeholders. The Translation Group – Rx&D is proud of its modest, but nevertheless important,
contribution to this field over the last quarter of a century.
Resources
The Translation Group – Rx&D
www.groupetraduction.ca
Group of translators working for about 20 member companies of the association Rx&D.
Contains basic information about the group, useful links, and a sample issue and cumulative
index of Pharmaterm, a quarterly bulletin on medical/pharmaceutical terminology. Includes a
section containing postings of job opportunities within the translation departments of the member
companies.
Rx&D (Canada’s Research-Based Pharmaceutical Companies)
www.canadapharma.org
National association representing some 55 research-based pharmaceutical companies in Canada.
Contains various policies, publications, and information about the industry.
Health Canada
www.hc-sc.gc.ca
Federal Canadian department responsible for helping Canadians maintain and improve their
health. Contains a wealth of information about health and diseases, both in English and French.
Pharmaceutical Advertising Advisory Board
www.paab.ca
Independent review agency whose primary role is to ensure that the advertising of prescription
drugs is accurate, balanced, and evidence-based. Publishes the Code of Advertising Acceptance.
Translation Bureau
www.translationbureau.gc.ca
Canadian federal agency handling the translation needs of the federal departments and agencies,
and of both houses of Parliament (House of Commons and Senate). Produces the terminology
database Termium, available by subscription on the Internet (www.termium.com) and on
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CD-ROM. Publishes Terminology Update/L’Actualité terminologique, a bilingual quarterly
periodical on language and terminology.
Office québécois de la langue française
www.oqlf.gouv.qc.ca
Québec government agency responsible for administering the Charter of the French Language
and promoting the use and quality of the French language in Québec. Produces the Grand
dictionnaire terminologique, available free-of-charge at www.granddictionnaire.com.
Canadian Pharmacists Association
www.pharmacists.ca
Publishes the annual Compendium of Pharmaceuticals and Specialties, a bilingual publication
containing 3,000 product monographs (available in print, on CD-ROM, and online). An
indispensable tool for members of the industry.
Canadian Translators, Terminologists, and Interpreters Council
www.cttic.org
National organization responsible for managing the accreditation process for various provincial
associations of language professionals.
Association of Translators and Interpreters of Ontario
www.atio.on.ca
Professional association seeking to promote a high level of competence in the fields of
translation, conference interpretation, court interpretation, and terminology in Ontario.
Ordre des traducteurs, terminologues et interprètes agréés du Québec
www.ottiaq.org
Professional association whose mission is to promote the competence and professionalism of its
members in the fields of translation, terminology, and interpretation in Québec. Publishes
Circuit, an award-winning quarterly magazine on language, communication, and translation.
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